Less than half of the leaders surveyed in DDI Global’s “Global Leadership Forecast 2023” believe that their job has a purpose. This is especially true for those in operational roles who may not have the opportunity to be involved in strategy discussions with senior management.

If leaders are unable to find a sense of purpose in their work, it can have an adverse effect on their team’s motivation and direction. In short, the uncertainty is passed down the line.

The report recommends that managers take specific actions to strengthen their team members’ sense of purpose. These actions include having frequent and meaningful career conversations, clarifying what success means within the team, encouraging self-reflection, and equipping leaders with the necessary tools to perform their jobs effectively.

Concerningly, the same report reveals that 65% of leaders say identifying and developing future talent is one of the top five skills they need to build over the next three years. However, over 40% of respondents have not received training to build on these leadership skills leading to meaningful conversations.

Considering that most leaders who manage engineering teams come from technical backgrounds, there may be an even greater, more urgent need for training or coaching for these soft skills.

At Ground, we are being told that people desire more meaningful conversations with leaders more often. Last year, we conducted a LinkedIn survey and asked our followers, who are geotechnical engineers and geologists, “How often should your employer talk to you about your progress?” 84% of respondents said they wanted a meaningful conversation at least every six months.

Considering the high levels of workplace stress in Australia and New Zealand (2nd globaly), as reported by the State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report from Gallup, discussing purpose is not only essential but also a powerful tool to help employees find meaning and satisfaction in their work.

Ground exclusively provides highly specialised permanent recruitment services and high-performance coaching to geotechnical engineers, geologists and select clients across Australia and New Zealand. Follow our company page or #groundrecruitment to keep updated on Ground’s polls, posts, articles and jobs.

Patrick McManus
Director
Ground Recruitment